SEASON OPENER
The city's farmers markets are preparing for the spring and summer selling season starting with the Trout Lake location, which opens May 12 and runs through Oct. 20.
That farmers market is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday in the parking lot of John Hendry Park at Trout Lake between Templeton and Lakewood South.
The Kitsilano Farmers Market opens May 20 and runs each Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot of the Kerrisdale Community Centre, 2690 Larch St., followed by the West End Farmers Market, which opens June 2 and will operate each Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The market at the Main Street Station at Thornton Park, adjacent to the VIA Rail station, launches June 6 and runs from 3 to 7 p.m. each Wednesday. Finally, the Kerrisdale Village Farmers Market opens July 7 and operates from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday on East Boulevard between West 37th and 41st avenues.
The Vancouver Farmers Markets website offers interactive market maps, lists of seasonal produce available and lots of information about eating local at eatlocal.org.
COYOTE UGLY
The Stanley Park Ecology Society is reminding residents spring is denning season for Vancouver's coyotes.
With new pups to protect, coyotes may become more territorial closer to their dens during the next couple of months. According to Dan Straker, who coordinates the society's Co-Existing With Coyotes Program, the animals are adaptable, timid and elusive creatures that build their dens in areas difficult to reach, such as behind blackberry bushes, in secluded areas of parks and golf courses, and under abandoned buildings.
Straker asks that residents who find an active den to report it to the coyote information phone line at 604681WILD (9453) and then avoid the area. He adds the denning season is another reason to keep dogs on a leash in parks as curiosity may lead to unnecessary conflict between pets and coyotes.
Residents should also remove anything from their yard that might attract coyotes, such as loose garbage, fruit on the ground, bird feeders and pet food. During the next several months, young coyotes will be learning the skills they need to survive in the city and they must learn to hunt rather than depend on humans for food. For more information, visit stanleyparkecology.ca.
LIVE AND DIRECT
The Kerrisdale Community Centre Society has launched a new website to encourage community engagement.
The Kerrisdale Playbook allows residents and community partners to share information, stories and photographs with dedicated sections such as the Kerrisdale Collective Memory Series. Using the neighbourhood of Kerrisdale as the common thread, artist-in-residence Lisa g Nielsen with artist intern Ariel Kirk-Gushowaty collected personal stories from community members. Those stories are shared on the website in short videos. This project ran from January to October 2011 and is complete.
Other highlights of the website include In the Heart of the Locals, which features one-on-one interviews with members of the community, as well as an electronic photo gallery and short stories, including one by Kerrisdale resident, Shakespearian actor and retired teacher Paul Toolan.
To check out the Kerrisdale Playbook, go to kccplaybook.org.
Twitter: @sthomas10
